The Drexel Dance Ensemble gears up for their winter concert – Memento

The Drexel Dance Ensemble, in the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Art and Design’s Department of Performing Arts, is thrilled to present their winter concert, Memento, on January 23, 24 and 25. Memento features the subject of keepsakes and the meaning behind collecting souvenirs and memories of the places that we visit and the people whom we meet.This performance will feature 60 Drexel student dancers.

In addition to six student choreographers, the Drexel Dance Ensemble is excited to present four professional choreographers including Tania Isaac, Meredith Rainey, director of Carbon Dance Theater, and guest artists Toni Renee Johnson of Maverick Dance and Leah Stein of Leah Stein Dance Company.

Alumni Toni Renee Johnson ’02 is the Founder and Director of Maverick Dance, a dance company in New York City that focuses on social and outreach issues through storytelling and multi-media experiences. She will present her work “Group Contempo,” focusing on the idea that highlighting individual talent pushes a community to perform better as a whole. In addition, full-time visiting artist Leah Stein will present “Holding Time”a piece focused on the idea of how sounds are created in space. This piece brings together group improvisation and a variety of human sounds for a multi-sensory experience.

The Drexel Dance Ensemble is a professional caliber dance company presenting two fully-produced concerts in the Mandell Theater each year, performing for more than 1000 people each season. Participation in the dance ensembles allows for the students of Drexel to connect to the artistic community, indulge in the creative process, and perhaps, expand their cultural scope.

Memento will be presented on January 23, 24 and 25 at 8:00 PM in the Mandell Theater at 33rd and Chestnut Streets. Tickets are $10 general admission and $5 for students. Tickets may be purchased in advance at http://www.danceboxoffice.com or by calling 215-895-ARTS.

A Graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with advanced degrees in Psychology and Education is an entrepreneur and CEO for several for-profits and non-profit corporations in the region. He is also an adjunct professor of Psychology with several local Universities.

Steven is currently the CEO of Delaware Valley on Line, one of the first regional Internet Service Provides that now focuses on business-class web hosting, design, and internet marketing. He is president and founder of Rainbow Promotions Inc., a special events and entertainment agency established in the late 70’s, that services corporate and retail accounts both locally and nationally.

Steven is the Founder of PhiladelphiaDANCE.org, the largest web presence and resource for the dance community in the greater Philadelphia region, and the Founder and Editor of The Dance Journal. His involvement in the dance community extends to being Director of Graffito Works, an international platform for dancers and performing artists to create site-specific work and to make it readily accessible to the public.